Known inboard boat drives have a steering and propulsion unit arranged under the water, which can pivot about a vertical axis. Propulsion is produced by one or two propellers, whose rotational axis can be pivoted by means of a steering unit. By virtue of the ability of the rotational axis to pivot, a steering action for the boat is achieved. For example the boat drive has a vertically arranged column that accommodates the driveshaft for the propeller and which passes through a hull opening in the boat's hull. The driveshaft can be powered by a drive motor arranged inside the hull of the boat. Such boat drives are also known as Pod-Drives.
In the area of the hull opening of such boat drives there is an annular gap around the column. This annular gap is sealed by a sealing arrangement, so that no water makes its way into the boat's hull through the annular gap. For example, DE 2748276 A1 shows a boat hull of a boat, with a boat drive which passes through a hull opening in the bottom of the boat's hull. In this case the annular gap is sealed by an O-ring seal and the boat drive is fixed into the boat's hull by means of flexible fastening means and a motor bed arranged on the inside of the bottom of the boat's hull.
In the manufacture and assembly of the boat's hull, the boat drive and the sealing means, there are necessarily dimensional variations and imprecisions. In the area of the sealing means these dimensional variations and imprecisions result in leaks or to increased stressing of the materials and consequently to a reduction of the life of the components. In addition, inaccurate transitions and gaps can be produced on the outside of the boat's hull, which adversely affect the streamlining of the boat.